Queen Camilla's new BBC documentary, The Book That Changed My Life, offers a rare glimpse into her marriage to the King and highlights the life-changing power of reading. The hour-long film, airing on BBC Two and iPlayer on October 14, features the Queen discussing reading sessions at home with the King, hiding risqué books under her pillow, and recalling how her late father used books as an emotional escape during his two and a half years as a prisoner of war.
A Powerful Watch
Though the subject appears light, the documentary is an incredibly powerful watch, even tear-jerking at times, as it delves into the impact of reading on four individuals and how it helped transform their lives during intense emotional upheaval. Books, the film shows, can help bring people out of despair, moments of suicidal crisis, and intense isolation.
One contributor, Ian Kirby from Gateshead, fell into a deep depression after a traumatic incident at home. He tearfully describes how he locked himself away for 18 months, lost interest in eating, and "didn't want to live" anymore. However, Mr Kirby turned his life around after joining a local book club and picking up the autobiography of local boxing hero Glenn McCrory, which offered a new perspective on his own experiences. Now he describes himself as living a rich and fulfilled life, with reading at the heart of his recovery.
Turning Lives Around
Former prisoner Omar Mentesh recalls how reading helped to snap him out of a life of crime. Returning to Feltham Young Offenders Institution, he says this was where he first picked up a book aged 15. While serving an eight-year sentence as an adult, it was Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning that spurred him to turn his life around. He now helps to rehabilitate prisoners through his company Anabranch and told the reporter at a screening last week, "thank god I did go to prison." "I'm not happy in what I did, I'm happy that I was able to go to that environment and benefit from it."
The documentary also has lighter moments, including a contributor saying: "I only realised Oscar Wilde was dead when I tried to email him." There's a glimpse into evenings at the Palace as well, with the Queen saying: "My husband and I actually read before dinner, we just like sitting quietly and reading." The King loves biographies, the Queen says, adding: "I occasionally, when I'm deep in a book, hear him roaring with laughter about something. It's very off-putting. I can't get back into my book."
Contributors Join the Queen
All four contributors, which included truck driver Peter Lloyd and roadside cafe owner Sarah Heward, joined the Queen for tea at Clarence House to tell her the impact reading had on them. Speaking afterwards, Mr Mentesh described Camilla as being "so authentic", adding: "I thought she was really sincere in what she's doing. It was just an amazing experience."
The Queen is certainly becoming adept at appearing in powerful documentaries, following her ITV documentary Behind Closed Doors where she explores domestic and sexual violence. The Book That Changed My Life will air on BBC Two and iPlayer on October 14.
